The Boston Bruins decided to sign James Hagens to an Amateur Tryout Agreement, which will likely end his career as a Boston College Eagle, despite some speculation about whether the changing NIL landscape can offer an opportunity to return if he doesn't sign an NHL deal. There are currently no plans for Hagens to sign in Boston this season and play the rest of the year in the AHL, but that could change, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
“Someone asked me if the Bruins don't want to burn the first year of his contract so a new one is needed in three years instead of two. Only Boston can answer that, but one thing I've learned is some clubs aren't scared of this because it can actually hurt a player's comparables due to lower counting stats. I mean, if Hagens does what he can do, it’s not going to matter. But some agents and teams will tell you burning a year with no huge numbers can help a club's negotiation/arbitration case,” Friedman commented.
The decision will likely hinge on how Boston plays down the stretch. Their powerplay has been abysmal recently, and if Hagens' first game in the AHL is any indication, he would help them in that area. However, with the trade deadline acquisition, Lukas Reichel playing well on the third-line left wing, where James Hagens would likely start his career, Don Sweeney isn't rushing.
If the Bruins make the postseason, Hagens could sign with the team during that run. It would be the same strategy used when Charlie McAvoy signed out of Boston University, which ended up working well for the organization.
